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There is no shame in buying store brand food. It's almost always the same thing as brand name for 60% the price. Also don't buy more food than you can eat. I live with two other people, and you'd be shocked how much perishable food they buy that just gets thrown out a couple weeks later because they didn't eat it. That's wasted money, right there.

It helps to practice empathy. I work with mostly middle and high school kids and as someone in his late twenties, it's easily the biggest behavior issue that young people can improve on that helps you be taken seriously.

It's fine for the first two periods of the day, but by the end of it, I'm like, "I've had to watch this six times today, so if I'm staying awake, you're staying awake. And if you fall asleep, I'm poking you with a pen."

I think that the Obama phenomenon (Obamenon?) in 2008 unintentionally ruined politics for an entire generation. Allow me to explain.

After the end of Dubya's two terms, people, especially young people, wanted the country to move in a different direction, hence Obama's "Hope and Change" message resonating so well. I listened to Obama's message in 2008 and thought that it sounded good, but lacking on specifics and reaching too far in places. But he got elected and had a Democratic congress to work with, so I figured, "Maybe he can do something after all."

Instead what he did was spend all of his political capital on the passage of Obamacare, which didn't do half of what he wanted it to when he first set out. So then the 2010 midterms come around and the Republicans come roaring back into congress. What can a Democratic president do with a congress that ran on the platform of "We Don't Like You"? Not much at all. So after Obama was re-elected in 2012, he has been basically running out the clock because, again, the President by himself cannot get much done.

So was Obama disappointing as a president? Maybe. But I would argue that this is a result of the unreasonably high expectations that people placed on him (and that he, perhaps unintentionally, encouraged in them). Our heroes will always disappoint US when we see them as mere men.

Did he accomplish most of what he wanted to do? Probably not. He got elected by capitalizing on his charisma and the "no republican can possibly win" atmosphere of 2008. But soaring rhetoric does not get legislation passed. Stable majorities in Congress does. The president cannot overturn Citizens United. Only the Supreme Court can.

I think part of the problem with the Obamenon was that it gave people hope that one person could change the country. Then, when that inevitably did not happen, those same folks became disillusioned with the whole process. This is why I rolled my eyes at the Bernie Sanders campaign. More soaring rhetoric, more big rallies, more talk of hope and change...more setup for disappointment by impressionable first time voters.

To finish this small novel off, I get the feeling that you're more toward the left than the right on the issues. With ask due respect to the Libertarians and the Greens, one of two people will be president: Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton. I would bet that you don't want Trump to be president, but you're definitely not sold on Clinton. That's fine. I disagree, but it's fine. So think about it like this: a vote for Clinton is obviously a vote for her. A vote for Trump is obviously a vote for him. But a vote for a third party is a vote that could go to Clinton in an effort to keep Trump out of the White House. If you vote for, heaven help us, Johnson or, God forbid, Tofu Palin, then you are mathematically increasing the chances of a Trump presidency.

My Eldar army is lead by a female Farseer and her cadre of female Warlocks. I have two units of female Banshees and a female Harlequin. There are plenty of female characters and units in the Warhammer 40k universe. Hell, the Dark Eldar are actively matriarchal, if memory serves me right.

Well Britain tries to intervene militarily on behalf of the South, but when trying to land troops in Mobile, they mistake the Confederate flag for the US flag and end up attacking both sides (they had also just invaded New York from Canada). The Union and Confederacy sign an armistice and liberate Quebec (that's book one, Stars and Stripes Forever). Then Britain tries to invade the US through Mexico (just go with it) but Grant and Sherman go down there with a couple divisions of Black and White southern troops because they're used to the heat (just go with it). Meanwhile the navy is building a fleet of ironclads to liberate Ireland and Grant and Lee successfully invade along with the Irish Brigade from the Civil War. Also everybody is armed with Spencer rifles by this point (just go with it). Britain then agrees to grant Ireland it's freedom (that's book two: Stars and Stripes in Peril). Then John Wilkes Boothe tries to assassinate Lincoln (three years too late and for no reason) but fails when Grant jumps in the way (it's ok, he lives). Then for reasons that involve international trade and other bullshit, the navy builds a bigger and more awesome ironclad fleet to get by the British forts guarding London. At the same time American engineers are developing steam tanks with gattling guns on them (just go with it). Finally the US army takes over London with the tanks and establishes a republic in Britain (that's book three: Stars and Stripes Triumphant).

I remember them being awesome when I was starting high school, but they got really silly and as I grew up, I found them to be much worse than I thought they were at the time.

There's absolutely nothing in the Constitution about a Supreme Court nominee not getting a hearing because the president is in their last term. The Constitution is very specific on this point. It says that the president nominates a Justice and the Senate gives them a hearing and a yes or no vote. That's it. So when the Republicans don't want to even hear the guy out (and do their job), I can't help but think that they have no idea what the Constitution says. It's not even like Obama nominated someone super liberal. Garland is very much a centrist judge. The fact that congress has not even voted on him yet shows that they are blatantly putting politics ahead of the effective running of the nation. This is inexcusable.